Subsequent to the declaration from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on January 22nd, the department has now outlined a specific limit on the number of study permit applications to be reviewed in 2024. According to the ministerial instructions disclosed by IRCC, a maximum of 606,250 study permit applications will be taken into consideration. It’s important to note that this cap differs from the one specified on January 22nd, which pertained specifically to the approval of study permits and was set at 360,000 applications.
These updated guidelines now encompass the overall number of study permit applications that will be taken into consideration by IRCC throughout 2024. This signifies that over the upcoming 11 months, IRCC commits to processing a maximum of 606,250 study permit applications, irrespective of the outcome of each application.
Furthermore, the instructions introduce a provision indicating that this newly set cap on study permits open for processing is subject to potential adjustments in line with subsequent instructions from the minister. This implies that if IRCC doesn’t reach the cap of 360,000 approved study permit applications within the processing limit of 606,250 applicants, the minister retains the authority to potentially raise the latter figure to achieve that target.
How do these numbers compare to 2023?
As per information sourced from Canada’s open government data portal, in the period between January and November of 2023, a total of 814,317 study permit applications underwent processing. Out of these, 579,075 were successfully approved, resulting in an approval rate of 71%.
When juxtaposed with the figures from the previous year, the limits outlined for 2024 indicate substantial reductions in both the processing and approval of study permit applications.
How will the new study permit cap work?
The recently established cap of 360,000 study permit approvals will be distributed among Canada’s provinces, taking into account the population of each province. Consequently, it is anticipated that the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia, being the three most populous provinces in Canada, will receive the highest allotments of study permit approvals.
To operationalize this new policy, a system of attestation letters will be implemented. Prospective students applying for a study permit must furnish both a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from their chosen Designated Learning Institution (DLI) and an attestation letter from the province where the DLI is situated.
In accordance with the recently issued ministerial instructions, attestation letters are required to be authored and endorsed by the provincial or territorial government. These letters serve as confirmation that the applicant holds a position within the study permit approval cap assigned to that particular province or territory. Furthermore, as stipulated by the ministerial instructions, the attestation letters must include the following details pertaining to the applicant:
Full name
Date of birth
Address
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